dy
a-tall.

"De place was jis' a farm, 'cause dey didn't know nothin' 'bout
plantations up dere in Kentucky. Dey raise corn and wheat and garlic and
fast hosses. Dey used to have big hoss races and dey had big tracks and
I's stood in de middle of dat big track in Lexington and watch dem
ex'cise de hosses. Sometimes I got to help dem groom some dem grand
hosses and dat was de big day for me. I don't 'member dem hosses names,
no, suh, but I knowed one big bay hoss what won de race nearly every
time.

"I had two sisters name Jeanette and Fanny and a brother, Henry, and
after my daddy die, my mother marries a man name Paris and I had one
half-brother call Alfred Paris.

"Old massa was good to us and give us plenty food. He never beat us
hard. He had a son what jis' one month older'n me and we run 'round and
play lots. Old massa, he whip me and he own son jis' de same when we
bad. He didn't whip us no more'n he ought to, though. Dey was good
massas and some mean ones, and some worthless cullud folks, too.

"Durin' de war de cholera broke out 'mongst de people and everybody
scairt dey gwine cotch it. Dey say it start with de hurtin' in de
stomach and every time us hurt in de stomach, missus make us come quick
to de big house. Dat suit us jis' right and when dey sends Will and me
to hoe or do somethin' us didn't want to do, pretty soon I say, 'Willie,
I think my stomach 'ginnin to hurt. I think dis mis'ry a sign I gittin'
de cholera.' Den him say, 'Us better go to de big house like ma say,'
and with dat, us quit workin'. Us git out lots of work dat way, but us
ain't ever took de cholera yit.

"Durin' de war John Morgan's men come and took all de hosses. Dey left
two and Willie and me took dem to hide in de plum thicket, but us jis'
git out de gate when de sojers come 'gain and dey head us off and take
de last two hosses.

"My mother she wore de Yankee flag under her dress like a petticoat when
de 'federates come raidin'. Other times she wore it top de dress. When
dey hears de 'federates comin' de white folks makes us bury all de gold
and de silver spoons out in de garden. Old massa, he in de Yankee army,
'cause dey 'script him, but he sons, John and Joe, dey volunteers.

"Old massa he never sold none of he slaves. I used to hear him and
missus fussin' 'bout de niggers, 'cause some 'long to her and some to
him and dey have de time keepin' dem straighten' out.

Us boys have good time playin'. Us draw de line and some g